It's really tough to beat a Katana 50 guitar combo amplifier
It's easy to understand why so many guitar players love this thing.
The amp I use is a Line 6 Spider V60. Great amp. But it's a bit complicated to use.
Then there is the BOSS Katana 50. It's lighter in weight, less in price by almost $100, and has something else going for it over the Spider V60. Simple controls and no screen to deal with.
Yes, this is a big deal because it makes the Katana 50 stupidly easy to use. With this amp, most guitarists don't even need an instruction manual. It is a true plug-in-and-go piece of kit.
Easy is good, and the Katana 50 is easy. Whoever designed the control layout should be given a raise, because everything a guitar player needs instant access to is right there. And although most wouldn't even notice this, I really like the fact there's a solid vertical line between the sections for AMPLIFIER, EQUALIZER, EFFECTS and TONE SETTING. This means you can find stuff easily in low-light environments (like a stage).
Heck, the controls are so thoughtfully laid out that you can figure out where you need to be just by feel alone after a while.
And unlike typical BOSS products, it's not overpriced.
Yeah, I can totally understand why this has a 4.7 out of 5 rating on Amazon - it's just that good.
Cheap guitar collectible for end of 2021, Squier Bullet Stratocaster HT
This is only true if you get a very specific color.
The Squier Bullet Stratocaster HT comes in 5 colors. Black, Brown Sunburst, Fiesta Red, Sonic Gray and Tropical Turquoise. The most collectible of these colors is Sonic Gray.
Why?
Guitar Center doesn't put this specific color in their stores.
The reason GC doesn't carry this color is because they have three Limited Edition colors of their own for this guitar. Sea Foam Green, Red Sparkle and Lake Placid Blue (the blue is the best of the lot).
However, it's the Sonic Gray one that's the elusive color. Some guitar dealers have this guitar in stock, but not all that many. If you want Sonic Gray, it's almost a certainty you'll have to buy it online.
Fortunately, the guitar is cheap (under $200) so it absolutely won't break the bank.
If you want some cheap exclusivity, getting one of these in Sonic Gray is the way to do it.
There's still a need for the Tascam DP-006
There is a good reason Tascam still makes this.
I prefer the ZOOM R8 for multitrack recording duties, but then there's the Tascam DP-006. It is less in price, but why would anybody bother with a 6-track recorder?
Answer: The DP-006 is where you get the most for the least in the smallest form factor. It is the best "sketch pad" recorder you can have.
The DP-006 is small. Two 1/4" inputs and built-in condenser high-quality microphones for mono or stereo recording of voice, acoustic guitar or other acoustic instrument. Fairly easy to figure out.
And when I say small, I'm not kidding. 6.1" x 1.6" x 4.2" (155mm x 41.5mm x 107mm).
The tradeoff to the size is that there are no physical fader controls, although there is complete control of levels through the menus. It wouldn't be much of a recorder if you couldn't do that.
It is easier to record with the DP-006 instead of a smartphone because of the dual 1/4" inputs and dual microphones. Everything you need for quick multitrack sketch recording is at-the-ready with the DP-006.
Also, the DP-006 can run on just 4 plain alkaline batteries for up to 8 hours. That's pretty darned good. And since few people record for 8 hours straight, you'll get some good life out of the batteries you put in it.
To give you an example of how easy it is to sketch record with this, you could sit on your bed with nothing more than an acoustic guitar, a set of headphones and the DP-006 and just start recording. After that, you can mix and master, still just sitting right there where you are.
Granted, the ZOOM R8 can also do this, but it's not as compact as the DP-006.
It's just nice to have a DP-006. And if you absolutely need 8 tracks, Tascam also still makes the DP-008EX. Slightly larger, but also a significant bump up in price.
The low price and compact size is what makes the DP-006 such a winner for quick sketch recording.
I would own one myself if I didn't already own the ZOOM R8.
This year's Thanksgiving guitar, Gretsch G5031FT Rancher
A weird guitar from Gretsch, but Gretsch knows how to do weird right.
Guitars like this is what makes Gretsch cool.
This is an electic-acoustic guitar. The FT in the G5301FT model I'm talking about means Fideli-Tron, which is in reference to the pickup you see very prominently displayed. Gretsch made absolutely no attempt to hide the pickup and instead kept it in full view, almost as if the guitar is wearing a gold medallion.
What we've got here is a 25.0" scale guitar dreadnought shape, laminated back and sides, solid spruce top, mahogany neck, laurel fingerboard with 12" fretboard radius, a single knob for master volume (which of course has the Gretsch "G" logo on it, very nice), compensated bridge (which makes for much better intonation), gold-plated hardware finishing, 4-ply tortoiseshell pick guard, white binding on the soundhole, body, neck and headstock.
I also dig the "mustache" style look of the bridge, and the horseshoe on the headstock. Looks cool.
The price? Pretty darned good for what it is. Well south of $1,000.
Is this a new model? No, but it's probably true you've never seen one.
The price is nice for this. Definitely not the plain ol' standard dreadnought and has nice personality to it, along with a sound that delivers. Can't ask for much more than that.
A thing to watch out for with cheap Strat copy guitars
This is a very easy thing to miss, and it can drastically change the way the guitar plays.
Cheap guitars are cool, so when you see something like the Grote guitar that sells for under $100 new, you think hey, I'll get that, set it up myself and it'll play great.
Not so fast. There's something you're missing that you probably didn't even notice.
The string guides.
If you look at any Strat style guitar with a straight (meaning not angled back) headstock, it has one or two string guides to keep the strings from popping out of the nut during play.
A string guide introduces a break angle. If there is a single guide, two strings (high-E and B) have the break angle changed. If there are two guides, four strings (high-E, B, G, D) have the break angle changed.
The steeper the break angle, the tighter the string will feel when tuned to pitch (especially during string bending).
The Grote seen above, while certainly cheap and totally playable, has guides that are closer to the nut than usual.
Examine the cheap Squier Bullet Stratocaster for an example of traditional guide spacing from the nut. Notice how the guide that holds down the D and G strings is just before the A-string tuning post, and how the guide holding the B and high-E strings is just after the A-string tuning post.
Yes, placement of guides on the headstock does make a differece, and again, this is a very easy thing to miss.
Generally speaking, guides that are closer to the nut will have strings that feel tighter, and not necessarily in a good way.
How do you test whether the string guides are adding too much string tension or not, and what can you do about it?
This test is very easy.
Loosen the strings. Take the strings off the guides, tune the guitar back up to pitch, then play and see if it feels different.
If the strings feel easier to play, then you know the guides are the problem.
Fixing this problem is fortunately cheap. Use nylon spacers. I can't tell you the exact size of spacer to use because it varies from guitar to guitar.
A second option is to take out the guides and install a string retainer bar instead. You will of course have to drill new holes in the headstock to install this, and this isn't much of a bother with cheap off-brand guitars since it was cheap to begin with.
The main advantage of using the retainer bar is that you can adjust the height. If you set it too low (you would know if strings feel too tight during note bends), you can detune the strings, back out the screws a little bit to raise the bar a little, tune back up, adjust as desired.
Another advantage of the retainer bar is that if you find yourself knocking the low-E or low-A string out of the nut sometimes from hard play, that bar will keep those strings in the nut even if you play like a caveman.
Sometimes all it takes to get a cheap Strat copy guitar truly playing like you want is a good setup, and getting your string break angles set just right on the headstock itself.